The Express: December Updates

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Emergency

The Express: December 2021

As we ring out yet another unprecedented year, the ASPR TRACIE team would like to offer our stakeholders and their loved ones our most sincere wishes for a healthy and safe holiday season. We continue to be in awe of your dedication and appreciate the chance to share your resources and experiences.

This issue of The Express highlights the following resources:

Please continue to access our Novel Coronavirus Resources Page, the National Institutes of Health Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines, and CDC’s Coronavirus webpage, and reach out if you need technical assistance.

Healthcare Operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Speaker Series)

We have added two recordings to this speaker series:

Dr. Alison Whelan (Chief Academic Officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges) shares lessons learned in medical education during COVID-19.
Jim Duke (Paramedic/RN, Owner/Operator, Com-Care EMS, and Chair, West Kentucky Healthcare Coalition [WKYHCC]) and BJ Newbury (MS, CHES, and WKYHCC Coordinator) share how the WKYHCC, Kentucky Department of Corrections, Kentucky State Penitentiary, and local emergency medical services collaborated to identify and treat COVID-19 positive inmates.

Healthcare Coalition (HCC) Engagement in a Multi-phased COVID-19 Assessment

This infographic highlights findings from a multi-phased effort that included an online survey open to all HCCs about various aspects of their response to the pandemic and eight focus groups with a subset of survey respondents. Access the full report and the Next Generation Healthcare Coalitions: Learning and Evolving from COVID-19 webinar for more information.

Monoclonals and More: Allocation and Distribution of Outpatient COVID-19 Treatments

This resource highlights information on currently available monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics and introduces additional COVID-19 prophylactics and treatments anticipated to be authorized in the future. It serves as a supplement to the information provided in this webinar, where speakers share information on the latest COVID-19 treatments, potential new treatments, current recommendations for using mAb therapeutics, and issues in providing equitable access.

ASPR’s Side-by-Side Overview of Outpatient Therapies Authorized for Treatment of Mild-Moderate COVID-19

This regularly updated table summarizes key information for all outpatient therapies currently authorized under emergency use in the U.S. for treatment of mild-moderate COVID-19.

Healthcare Coalition Chemical Emergency Surge Annex Template

The initial response to a chemical incident lies with first responders and the hospitals, but HCCs can be critical to a coordinated, consistent response. This template provides general headers and descriptions for a sample HCC chemical emergency surge annex.

Using the ASPR TRACIE Burn Surge Templates to Enhance a Healthcare Coalition

Annette Newman (MS, RN, CCRN, Community Outreach/Burn Disaster Coordinator and Western Region Burn Disaster Consortium Coordinator) shares how a healthcare coalition used ASPR TRACIE burn surge templates during actual incidents and exercise templates to help with the planning process. Access our other healthcare system preparedness considerations speaker series recordings for more information.

ASPR’s Guide to Compassionate and Empathic Dialogue

ASPR worked with the Americares Foundation, Puerto Rico Region, to develop this guide (and related presentation and flashcard) to help emergency response and recovery personnel engage effectively and empathically with their stakeholders in a multi-hazard environment. It includes an overview of the emotional phases of a disaster, the essential steps of offering compassionate and empathic communication, and supportive evidence-based information and resources.

CMS Updated Basic Emergency Preparedness Training Now Available

The Emergency Preparedness (EP) Basic Training is intended to establish knowledge of federal EP regulations and the ability to identify circumstances of noncompliance with individual federal regulations for each affected provider and supplier type. Compliance with EP regulations is a factor for facilities’ eligibility for funding from CMS. This 17-hour, self-paced training can bolster proficiency with conducting EP surveys and understanding of how the EP regulations overlap across multiple provider types. The course is geared for surveyors but has been made available to the public for provider/supplier education. The course updates reflect the 2019 Burden Reduction changes, as well as additional guidance and clarifications, to include preparedness for emerging infectious diseases. For technical assistance, please email HelpDesk@qsep.org. For policy-related inquiries, please contact QSOG_EmergencyPrep@cms.hhs.gov.

Emergency Use Authorization: EVUSHELD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for AstraZeneca’s long-acting antibody (LAAB) combination EVUSHELD (AZD7442). EVUSHELD (AZD7442) is now authorized during this pandemic for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of adults and certain pediatric individuals with immune compromised systems and thus are not expected to mount an adequate immune response following vaccination, or for whom vaccination is not indicated due to health conditions or a history of severe allergic reactions. EVUSHELD (AZD7442) is not a substitute for vaccination. In alignment with the EUA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will oversee the fair and equitable allocation and distribution of EVUSHELD (AZD7442).

Registration for the 2022 Preparedness Summit, to be held April 3–7, 2022, in Atlanta, is officially open! The 2022 Preparedness Summit, Reimagining Preparedness in the Era of COVID-19, will provide an opportunity to reflect on lessons learned from current and previous responses, and highlight tools, resources, and learnings that we can apply into the future. Take advantage of early-bird rates—register today!

Subscribe to the Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection’s Bulletins

In the lead up to the holidays and in light of critical cyber threats, Healthcare and Public Health Sector stakeholders need to strengthen their computer network defenses against potential malicious cyber-attacks. The Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) recommends stakeholders review the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security’s (CISA) Apache Log4j Vulnerability Guidance webpage and the CISA Insights Preparing for and Mitigating Potential Cyber Threats. To stay informed on cybersecurity subscribe to the CIP cybersecurity bulletins.

COVID-19 Clinical Rounds

Peer-to-Peer Virtual Communities of Practice, a collaborative effort between ASPR, the National Emerging Special Pathogen Training and Education Center (NETEC), and Project ECHO, hosts weekly training opportunities where clinicians from the U.S. and abroad who have experience treating patients with COVID-19 shared their challenges and successes. Access past sessions and sign up to receive updates.